CardSharks

There is an interesting post over at YesButNoButYes on ten infamous game show moments. There are a couple good ones, like the guy who lost on the first question of Millionaire, and a couple classic Family Feud and Newlywed Game answers.

Unfortunately, it's more a good idea for a list than an actual good list, because their definition of "Game Show" is insane. I just don't get the reasoning behind adding moments from The Bachelorette, Big Brother, and Top Chef. Especially when there are so many great moments from actual game shows that could have been added.

Some non-reality show contenders for such a list: From The Price Is Right, recently there was a guy who kept bidding 420 (video after the jump). Going back in the TPIR archive there was the time when a rather buxom woman was so excited to be comin' on down that she didn't realize her boobs had bounced right out of her tube top.

(S01E05) Before we begin I have a correction to make. At the end of last week's post about the Press Your Luck episode of Game Show Marathon I mentioned that the version of Card Sharks they were playing this week was the Bob Eubanks hosted version that ran on CBS from 1986 until 1989 (Ironically, replacing Press Your Luck in the timeslot). However, I was wrong. After watching the introduction to tonight's show it was clearly the Jim Perry version which ran on NBC from 1978 until 1981. So, apologies all around.

Come to think of it, the original version of the show was much better than the Eubanks version. Eubanks, who hosted The Newlywed Game for several decades, made the show more personality based. And, that wasn't his fault, since he spent years trying to get newlyweds to open up about their most intimate secrets to millions of television viewers. But, adding that element to the show made the game move a bit slower. The original that was hosted by Jim Perry (who went on to host the popular $ale of the Century shortly after Card Sharks ended) was a much faster paced game. In the end, the producers over at Marathon made the right choice by going with the original.

Back in the 1980s, two classic game shows, Match Game and Hollywood Squares, were combined into a one-hour show. The result was extremely underwhelming to audiences back then. Now, over 20 years later, they're trying this concept again... with seven game shows combined into one. Don't network executives ever learn?

Actually, this one looks to be a bit more interesting than The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (catchy, ain't it?). It's called Game Show Marathon and it's premiering on CBS tonight. Hosted by veteran talk show maven Rikki Lake, Marathon combines seven classic game shows into one program: The Price Is Right, Beat the Clock, Card Sharks, Let's Make a Deal, Press Your Luck, Family Feud, and Match Game. Other than Deal, all of the other game shows have aired or are currently airing on CBS at one time or another.

Starting with The Price is Right, the show will pit six celebrity players against each other, who will attempt to win cash and prizes for home viewers. Game Show Marathon will continue to run twice-weekly until July, when it will settle into its Thursday night slot. TVgameshows.net profiles the game show and interviews Rikki Lake about the challenges of hosting seven different game shows at one time in a three-week period.